Wine Books
These books are a part of our library, and we wholeheartedly suggest them to you. They are all available at Amazon.com, and you'll find many of them at your local bookstore. If you would like to suggest a book for us to include, please contact us.
The Oxford Companion to Wine
Jancis Robinson
Reference. The Oxford Companion to Wine is an amazing wealth of information. It's a must for any wine lover. The online version at www.JancisRobinson.com is excellent too, although there's a reasonable fee to access it. You'll not only find the answers to most wine-related questions here, you'll end up getting lost in it, going from one entry to another in the fascinating world of wine.
The World Atlas of Wine
Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
Reference. This is another staple of a good wine library. The introduction covers the history of wine, wine making, terroir, information about wine grape varieties, helpful information on storing and serving wine, etc. Then, country by country, region by region, you get an in-depth look at virtually all the vineyards in the Old and New Worlds. The 200 excellent maps make this an essential part of your library.
Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Tom Stevenson
Reference. Much like The World Atlas of Wine mentioned above, the Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia is an excellent book about the world's wine regions. It too begins with a look at wine tasting, wine making, vineyard techniques, etc. But when it explores the wine regions, it's lighter on the regions themselves, and heavier on the specific wines and wine makers. Stevenson reports on a great deal of wineries and scores their wines. A great compliment to the two books above.
How to Taste: A Guide to Enjoying Wine
Jancis Robinson
Wine Tasting. For anyone wishing to develop their wine tasting skills, How to Taste is a fun and easy way to do it. Robinson begins with the "how to's" of wine tasting, then moves on to look at the major wine grape varieties, the influence of climate, and the wine maker's hand on what we taste. The book ends with a brief but helpful chapter on matching food with wine.
Great Wine Made Simple:
Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier
Andrea Robinson
Wine Tasting. Great Wine Made Simple is an easy, down-to-earth wine tasting course. Robinson takes six major wine grape varieties and uses them to explore all the various tastes, textures, wine making styles, and regional characteristics of wine. Although the book is geared toward beginners, it will take anyone a long way toward enjoying wine.
The Taste of Wine
The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation
Emile Peynaud
Wine Tasting. Peynaud's French masterpiece Le Goût du Vin is now available in English. It's a serious, in depth look at wine tasting for professionals. You'll find a detailed analysis of the taste, smell, and visual aspect of wine, as well as tasting techniques, vocabulary, and quality in wine. It's THE textbook on wine tasting.
Everyday Dining with Wine
Andrea Immer (Robinson)
Wine and Food Matching. In her enjoyable, down-to-earth way, Andrea Robinson offers wine and food pairing techniques with over 100 relatively quick and easy recipes. She organizes her book mostly by grape variety, but also talks about different regions and styles. Her section on 'Stocking a Wine-Friendly Pantry' suggests the right ingredients to have on hand to whip up a great meal or snack in an instant.
Wine with Food
Joanna Simon
Wine and Food Matching. In Wine with Food, Joanna Simon talks about the principles of matching food and wine. Simon explores the role various ingredients and cooking techniques play in choosing the right wine(s), and then has a good look at the major grape varieties, suggesting good marriages. Then, taking the food first, she takes you all over the world, looking at regional cuisines and suggesting wines to go with them.
The Wine Lover's Cookbook
Sid Goldstein
Wine and Food Matching. After a short introduction covering the basics of food and wine pairing, Sid Goldstein offers over 100 recipes, arranged by grape variety. Goldstein's 'Ten Tips to Successful Food and Wine Pairing' are helpful, and each chapter proposes various 'bridge ingredients' that help connect the food and the wine. Each grape variety is given a handful of tips to successfully pair it with food.
Vino Italiano:
The Regional Wines of Italy
Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch
Italy. If you find it difficult to wrap your brain around Italy's 22 regions and endless grape varieties, Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch come to the rescue with Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy. Region by region, the authors begin with a short story that gives you a feel for each wine producing region. Then, they explore the primary wines, growing areas, and wine makers. If you love Italy and its wines, you'll love this book.
Wine and War:
The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure
Donald Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup
History. Wine and War is a captivating, easy-to-read history of the role wine played in World War II. The anecdotes of how French wine makers hid and protected their precious wines from the Nazis are griping, and even amusing sometimes. Wine and War makes a great book for your flight to France.
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